starting a classical collection - open to suggestions!

[el_matt0]

hey guys, ive been into audio for quite some time, but only recently am starting to build a cd collection (mostly computer audio prior to that). Growing up as a kid I played many instruments, french horn, violin, piano, and came from a very musical household. Ive always had a great appreciation for classical music but totally stopped listening to it while in the first few years of college. Now Im finding it is just so much more, plain and simply MUSICAL and incredible sounding to my ears as opposed to rock etc, especially out of a nice system. I dont really know where to start, the world of classical is a HUGE place i know, and its intimidating to be honest!

ill name a couple of cds i have infront of me at the moment, that were given to me by relatives, who admittedly know FAR more about classical than i do! im really loving these albums in every way so maybe something along similar lines might be good. the first is Gil Shaham playing some wieniawski and saint-saens. the other is a recording from the deutsche grammophon, andre previn and richard strauss, horn concertos 1&2 by the wiener philharmoniker. although, that said, i think my appreciation for classical is hugely due to my extremely musical background/upbringing, so any GOOD classical suggestions are more than welcome. i do really love strings, but am not restricted to them by any means.

does maxim vengerov (sp?) have any good albums you guys would recommend? I heard him play violin in concert when i was young and it was one of the most breathtaking and imprinting memories ive ever had.

thanks guys, always hugely appreciated

 

[musicmind]

Hi el_matto

Take a look at Tyson's recommendations list (linked in his signature). The music section also has lots of other great threads, including a recent one with violin recordings suggestions by milkpowder amongst others.

Hope that helps

 

[el_matt0]

thanks it forsure does, ill check it out! should definitely be helpful i think. feel free to suggest some of ur favs, etc.

 

[Punnisher]

I'll list my favorites:

John Williams
Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Vaughn Williams
Mozart Piano Concertos
Ravel
Mahler

Right now these are my absolute favorites. Particularly John Williams, Mahler and Rachmaninov. I listen to them daily.

 

[bigshot]

The best way to explore classical music is to choose a particular type of music or composer that interests you and do some googling to figure out some CDs to give you a sample. Appreciation only comes after understanding, so take the time to do some research and reading.

Have fun!
Steve

 

[musicmind]

Here is an excellent thread if you are interested in Brahms, I've been enjoying several of those listed, especially the Kleiber 4th and the Violin Concerto with Mutter :

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/bui...ection-258048/

Here is another nice list to work through :
100 CDs for Building Your Library

NPR's top 50 classical suggestions :

NPR: Performance Today -- The PT 50

 

[scompton]

Amazon lists are a good way to find stuff. Back in the 80s, I joined a classical record club and let them send me a record every month. It exposed me to a lot of music that I never would have thought of buying. Also check out your local library. Mine has an excellent CD collection with about 75% of it classical. The CDs aren't in the best of shape, but you can listen to a lot of music that you've not heard of without having to buy just to find out you don't like it. This really helped me with opera and 20th century music. I got a very good idea what I liked and didn't like. I also discovered that I really like chamber music for wind instruments, which wouldn't have been high on my list of music to buy until I checked out a couple of CDs.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicmind /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here is an excellent thread if you are interested in Brahms, I've been enjoying several of those listed, especially the Kleiber 4th and the Violin Concerto with Mutter : http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/bui...ection-258048/ Here is another nice list to work through : 100 CDs for Building Your Library NPR's top 50 classical suggestions : NPR: Performance Today -- The PT 50

DavidMahler's Build an ? Collection threads are excellent.

 

[Nebby]

Amazon.com: Mozart: Violin Concertos [Hybrid SACD]: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,Trondheim Soloists,Marianne Thorsen: Music

I just picked up this CD, and it's just stunning.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicmind /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here is another nice list to work through : 100 CDs for Building Your Library NPR's top 50 classical suggestions : NPR: Performance Today -- The PT 50

both of these lists look good.

 

[Tyson]

Check the link in my sig.

 

[DavidMahler]

Hey there! Guess I should join this thread by now, and I appreciate that people like my past recommendations

Tyson's signature list is excellent!

Really there are so many ways to begin building a classical collection. I think a lot of head-fiers take a very unique route in that they seek out extremely well recorded interpretations. This USUALLY means a recording made in the past 20 years, though it is not always the case, there are some really excellent analog recordings.

Other collectors begin their collection by getting a critically acclaimed interpretations of famous works, one which has stood the test of at least 30 years. This usually leads one to EMI Great recordings of the Century, or Deutsche Gramophone Original series, etc.

Other collectors focus on a few specific composers or a particular time period....very often this time period is the very late 18th to very late 19th century. Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Schubert.

I feel a very satisfying way of exploring classical music is complimenting a recording of a work you are familiar with with a work you are not familiar with. This means buy in pairs, for instance.......let's say you buy a copy of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, take a risk and buy a copy of Schubert's Winterreise, just an example.

If you already have a particular affinity for a specific musician (as you do for Maxim Vengerov) and he has recorded almost every major violin concert piece in the repertoire, one of the ways to go about collecting his records is to pick a composer you already like......he does an awesome tchaikovsky violin concerto, a great brahms concerto, a great mendelssohn. His Beethoven concerto I would pass by for now as there are clearly better choices out there. Very VERY often it is best to first hear an instrumentalist perform in the repertoire of their native country. This does not mean that a Russian can't play a great Schubert, or an Italian can't play a great Debussy (Michelangeli is my favorite Debussy interpreter and Ravel interpreter for that matter - also French). But it is generally a good idea to hear an instrumentalist or conductor first in the repertoire that they were "born" into. Vengerov is Russian so I'd check him out in the Tchaikovsky / Glazunov CD first.

All this being said:
The first 10 CDs you may want to consider are the following.....it will start you off well rounded in many different areas.

1. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos - Tafelmusik
2. Mozart: Requiem Mass in D Minor - Niklaus Harnoncourt
3. Beethoven - Symphonies 5 & 7 - Carlos Kleiber
4. Schubert - Impromptus for Piano - Murray Perahia
5. Schumann / Grieg - Piano Conertos - Radu Lupu
6. Bizet - Carmen - Georg Solti
7. Brahms - Symphony No. 4 - Kleiber
8. Tchaikovsky / Glazunov - Violin Concertos (Threw this in for you...though it is certainly great music) Vengerov
9. Mahler - Symphony No. 2 - Fischer (This is a really wonderful recording for testing audio equipment)
10. Stravinsky / Scriabin - Rite of Spring / Poem of Ecstasy (Gergiev)

 

[Uncle Erik]

There's a lot of ground to cover in classical, but that's a good thing. Classical can give you a lifetime of music that never gets old and remains interesting and challenging.

A good place to start is with this book:

Amazon.com: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (NPR Curious Listener's Guide To...): Tim Smith,Michael Tilson Thomas: Books

It's worth buying and will introduce you to the subgenres and has a terrific list of suggested works. By the way, the Curious Listener's Guide for Jazz is also excellent.

For actual discs, you might be interested in the RCA Classics sets:

RCA Living Stereo SACD - elusivedisc

I'm not affiliated with Elusive Disc - just a happy customer. The RCA Classics are SACD hybrids, so you can play them on a regular player. I like these sets because they're full of classic recordings, well mastered, and the prices are really, really good. I haven't found a bad one yet.

Also, pay attention to the 20th Century composers. They're not nearly as popular as Classical and Romantic composers, but there is excellent work. Everyone seems to like Arvo Part - give him a listen. I also like Steve Reich and John Adams a lot.

Finally, hit your local used music store if you have one. Classical CDs (for whatever reason) tend to be cheap and plentiful. Buy anything that looks interesting. Even if you don't like it right away, hang onto the disc. I find that my tastes shift every few years; I still enjoy what I always have, but something will turn the key and unlock a piece or artist I didn't enjoy previously.

 

[Sordel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Everyone seems to like Arvo Part - give him a listen.

Seriously, he should start kicking us a percentage of his royalties: he's by far the artist most recommended on this forum.

I don't think that there's a quick route into classical: like evolution, it takes a lot of failed experiments to locate the successes. That said, I'd recommend that OP buys one CD at a time and takes the time to read the liner notes carefully. Moving onto the next piece before one understands the first is a typical, and expensive, mistake of classical buyers.

 

[el_matt0]

WOW thanks guys SOOOOOO helpful you have no idea! i will check out ALL of these suggestions without a doubt!